Μήδεια (Event #41)

Tonight, my October GOArts Challenge ends where western civilization's theater arts begin -- the Greek drama. 

The Theatre Arts Guild of Georgia Perimeter College will present Medea at the Cole Auditorium.

"What do you do if you discover you're not really you" (Event #40)

"...Or more to the point, that there may be a lot more of you than you could ever have imagined?"  My friend and I are on our way over to the Little Theatre in Pearce Auditorium to see A Number, a play written by Caryl Churchill in 2002.  The performance is part of the Gainesville Theatre Alliance's (GTA) Discovery Series.  These small scale performances are usually free and are frequently the capstone projects of GTA seniors.  Sometimes they include guest performers and directors.

Gainesville Theatre Alliance is a collaboration between Gainesville State College, Brenau University, Theatre Wings and the Professional Company along with the Northeast Georgia community.  This year, the GTA is celebrating its 30th Anniversary Season and their next mainstage production will be The Wedding Singer November 10-21.

Handel's Nightmare (Prelude to Event #39)

You know that Halloween can't be too far off when a well-respected, well-traveled Baroque organization plays a concert with nightmare-ish music.  Tonight's concert, Handel's Nightmare, will feature mezzo-soprano Tijana Grujic in selections from some of Handel's most popular operas. Also featured are sonatas for violin and continuo by Biber, Corelli and Tartini, including Corelli's "La Folia" and Tartini's "The Devil's Trill." 

The concert will be performed by Atlanta's acclaimed New Trinity Baroque Early Music Ensemble at 8pm tonight in St. Bartolomew's Episcopal Church.
(The New Trinity Baroque Early Music Ensemble.  Photo credit Richard Calmes)

Monkey Business -- LIVEBLOGGING (Event #38)

Ten minutes til' Dress Rehearsal begins (at 9pm)...  What are you doing online?  C'mon over to the show.  Company member Cathy Poley, the Who of "who's there?" says "We have so much fun doing this show."  She's right. In the run-up to this rehearsal they were really having a great time with one another.  Also, the Chromatics are here performing live.

Let me introduce you to Aaron Gotlieb, Co-Executive Producer of  Dancing Monkey Cabaret (DMC),  who is a puppeteer and actor and my host for the evening.

Ok, so we're getting ready to put this whole thing together for the first time. All the pieces have been rehearsed but it's always exciting to see it all at once! I'll try to come back and chat throughout, but it all depends on what unexpected little wrinkles pop up. When you guys get out here tomorrow it'll all be smooth sailing! -- Aaron

And now... it's show time!

Dancing with the Stars like you've never seen it before... and maybe you'd like to see.
Cathy's Horrible House of Horrors... oh soooo scary.
The Chromatics and Kristina Baade do a little Spooky for us
Rise & Shine morning show... turnabout is fairplay!
The loveable and affiable Scarface takes a sacrificial virgin from the audience to Skullcrusher Mountain
The Undead Stand-up Comedian... oh soooo funny.
And now, for the CULTURAL portion of this performance... Poe's The Raven
Company member Enisha Brewster knows Where I've Been

. . . . . ~ INTERMISSION ~  the cast is Trick or Treating for YouthPride... pony-up, folks!

Dancing Monkey Cathy Here - This is such a fun show to be in. My main character throughout is based on my life in high school. I thought I was cool and goth, but really I was way too happy to be goth. The show has surprises. At one point Aaron is supposed to scare me by pulling out an object and it is different each night., So I never know if it will be a rubber bat or a severed hand!

Aaron Here - Well, keeps her on her toes! In fact, tomorrow, it might be a bag of toes, who knows. So Act one zoomed by, we're collecting for YouthPride right now as people have their treats out in the lobby. Act two has plenty of surprises left!

Second Act begins and The Chromatics swing us back in...  Kristina is back now, too. Together, they rock us with a bit of Heart and Magic Man.
Aaron thanks the Dancing Monkey Sponsors and Supporters
The Dating Game - Frank, Casper and Edward (yeah, that Edward)
Cathy tries again to be Scary...real life scary, and tells why It's Hard to be Goth When You're Happy
Next skit - THEREMIN - the sound that makes it scary.
Aaron, Harry and Walter by Topher Payne
The Dancing Monkey Electric Chair is used to conjure spirits... guess who they bring back?!!

. . . . . ~ That's a wrap! ~  Come out and see all this Monkey Business for yourself! Enjoy!

"Villainous Vaudeville and Creepy Cabaret" (Prelude to Event #38)

Tonight, I am going to attend the dress rehearsal for Night of the Living Monkeys, the October installmnet of the Dancing Monkey Cabaret (DMC).  Known for their Vaudevillian variety shows, DMC is a resident company of The Academy Theatre.  Here is how they describe the Dancing Monkey experience:

"Blending the best of classic American Vaudeville and Burlesque with the European Music Hall and Cabaret traditions, Dancing Monkey Cabaret creates a vibrant new experience. Each evening, a themed performance is created from an eclectic mix of acts and artists. These acts might include (among others) musicians (both classical and popular), dancers, comedians, puppeteers, magicians, impersonators, acrobats, one-act plays or scenes from plays, athletes, lecturing celebrities, clowns and short films. No other genre brings the same degree of artsy eccentricity, which provides a reason for audiences to come back again and again."

Night of the Living Monkeys will take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at The Academy Theatre.  Added Bonus: The skeletons come out of the closet to fundraise for YouthPride in Dancing Monkey Cabaret's first 'Ghoul Pride' celebration!  (Image from Dancing Monkey Cabaret website.)   Food: My left-overs from Il Mee... yes, a Korean noodle dish from last Saturday.

Canadian rhubarb pie: It's not celery!!! (Event #29)

Priscilla's in the kitchen and and she cooked up the title of this post for me!  Actually, six word memoirs about food motivated the artistic production that Priscilla danced in on Saturday morning.  Here's D. Patton White, Artistic Director of  Beacon Dance to explain:

Hey Keif! Thanks so much for carving out some time to come see A Bountiful Feast: A Moveable Feast!  Just a bit of background for at least a portion of the performance. My sister recently gave me a book of Six-Word Memoirs put together by the people from Smith magazine. So we took this idea and each of the cast members created 6 six-word memoirs of food or food related stories. We shared them during the performance and then asked the audience to share some with us. We will use those shared by the audience when we return to the Land Trust this evening for a twilight performance at 6:15 PM on the playground area. (Images of Beacon Dance's A Bountiful Feast: A Moveable Feast. Yes, that is Lou the Emu standing nearby.)

My six word contribution at the event -- what else -- i love to eat with friends .

Not Forgot (Event #28)

They zipped into and out of town, leaving The Ferst Center audience on their feet in steady applause. Parsons Dance teamed up with the East Village Opera Company for their production of REMEMBER ME.  This union reflects a trend among recent dance performances here in Atlanta -- an integration of dancers, musicians, singers, & multi-media.  It's a theme currently being discussed within the local dance community.  For the Atlanta premier of REMEMBER ME, there is unanimous consensus among my circle of peers that this was a successful integration where nothing distracted from the other--the visual images and video helped set the tone and gave us a sense of place, the dancers and singers were inseparable in the creation of a character and both gave high energy performances.  (Web image of Parsons Dance REMEMBER ME)

The Ferst Center has a really strong season of performances this year with something that is sure to appeal to you.  Here are the rest of the dance companies they have booked for this year: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez, Pilobolus, and Rasta Thomas' Bad Boys of Dance.  In addition to these great performers, a few of our own will take the stage at the Ferst Center for holiday entertainment. Ballethnic returns with their annual Urban Nutcracker Nov 19-22.

The Embarrassing Thing About Going Out of Business -- (Event #27)

Everything goes.... No... ANYTHING goes!  So yeah, I went to The Dad's Garage Going Out of Business Show and afterward took the opportunity to check in with the cast. Let me recreate the experience for you...

Me: "Hey man, how are you doin'? It's been awhile, huh?"
Him: "Hi, fine.  Yeah, the baby is three, now.  What have you been up to?"

[We greet with a mutual hug and I give him a kiss on the cheek]

Me: I answer his question with yada yada about my big adventures and recent escapades. "Wow, having a Daddy as a comedian, I hasten to think what comes out of your little one's mouth."
Him: "Oh yeah!"

[We chat for about 10 minutes and share what we've been doing for the past two or three years and what we have planned for the near future.  He gets the cast together for a post show group shot.]

Me: on my way out and saying goodbye, "Well hey, is your wife still doing photography?"
Him:  "Uh.... you're thinking of Matt Stanton."

Chris Blair is my new best friend! BFF

Ok, ok... so Chris and Matt kinda' look alike and both are actors who share a similar physicality and fashion sense. But what is really pitiful here is that I thought Chris Blair was Matt Horgan who I thought was Matt Stanton.  Um... maybe I need glasses.

Halloween Night @ Dad's Garage -- WangDoodle variety show | the Great Humpkin dance party | Costume Contest. (Pictured above are strange bedfellows: Chris Blair, Gina Rickicki, Jon Carr, Stacey Melich and Matt Horgan at Dad's Garage)

British Farce Fun -- guest blogger Lost in Yonkers (Event #30)

Again, due to keif, I attended another event of many on her list.

Location: I live in Marietta and never went further than E Piedmont on Sandy Plains Rd. It was a surprise to see The Art Place - Mountain View located next to Mountain View Public Library along with the Mountain View Aquatics Center across the street. The building itself held photographs as well as bowls, urns, and other art work which was interesting to look over before the play, during intermission and after the play. It was a nice, intimate stage setting.

The play:  Wife Begins at 40 presented by CenterStage North.  The cast was an international group (Brits, Aussies, and Yankees). I'm bad at picking up accents and dialects but needless to say I couldn't tell the difference. If you are into British comedies, this is for you. There are the dry sense of humor, innuendos aplenty and endless hilarity. The absent minded grandfather who sums up the entire play in one line...I'll let you figure that out for yourselves. They even had the cutest miniature poodle in the play!

Keep up the good work and will attend next season!  Upcoming shows Dec 11 -Dec-20, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

“It All Began with a Picture” (Prelude to Event #37)

So stated C.S. Lewis when asked what motivated his famous first-published book of The Chronicles of Narnia.  The Rose of Athens Theatre brings Lewis' notable work, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, to the stage today through Saturday.  I'm going to the Wednesday matinee held at Seney-Stovall Chapel in Athens Georgia.  Be there!
(Company members Carole Kaboya and J. Thomas Wynne, III from The Rose of Athens Theatre production of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.  Photo credit Becca Woolbright.)

"Where they most breed and haunt..." (Prelude to Event #35)

... is over at the New American Shakespeare Tavern where the Atlanta Shakespeare Company is performing a limited run of Macbeth.   I'm attending a student matinee that will be Sign Language Interpreted.  This is going to be good!  Here's a shout-out to the students from the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf who I'll be seeing the show with tomorrow. (Image from Atlanta Shakespeare Company's production of Macbeth, from their webpage.)

Lend Me An Ear -- LIVE BLOGGING (Event #34)

***Be sure to check out Doug Kaye's comment to this post for more perspective about Lend Me An Ear.***

7:30pm Karen Beyer opens the shows

7:35pm Bill Tush, special guest, plays Vic in this first work: Vic & Sade circa 1938
7:40pm "Baseball is just a game... right?"
7:45pm "Kick a Home Run?"

Tonight's Foley Artist (readers of this blog already know what a Foley Artist is thanks to the ARTC) is Henry Howard. crreeeeeeeaaak-SLAM!   Brad Weage is on the Keyboard(s) tonight.

7:50pm Edith Ivey (via the magic of audio engineering) introduces this next work: Whispering Streets (Episode #1467) from 1958.   Edith noted how she performed on this particular radio show for three years.
7:55pm Ms. Veronica is about to do something drastic... dramatic music from Brad... commercial break.

All the performers look great and are dressed up... suits, ties, skirts, jackets and... a white feather boa! Martha Knighton (with the boa wrapped around her neck, plays Millie, the retired burlesque strip-teaser) garners applause... no... not stripping... its her humor, her humor.

8:05pm Doug Kaye steps up to the microphone as Eric and delivers...well... Shakespeare (what else?!!) to his old flame in the show.  And not just any ol' Shakespeare... no, not the friar... he's reciting Romeo's lines.
8:15pm Jerry Immel is spot-on as The Announcer... close your eyes and he takes you right back in time.

8:17pm Next performance is Dick Tracy in B flat (a 1943 show) -- fun fun lyrics and zingers
8:20pm 10 actors on stage singing for Dick's wedding
8:21pm Leaving Tess Trueheart, Yolander Asher, at the alter to solve a crime
8:24pm Flattop, Jon Kohler, aims his gun low in DT's back and vows to "blow his brains out"
8:28pm William Colquitt, as Vitamin Flintheart, tries to sing us a song.
8:35pm Rivka Levin, Snowflake, sings "Somewhere Over a Barrel."
8:38pm Barry Stoltze, the Cheif, just won't let these two get married... he constant calls with interruptions.
8:40pm Henry Howard, sound effects man, does a great sound effect of crashing sounds ending with a gumball rolling around the rim of a metal bowl... when the gumball stops, he it and everyone cheers.

INTERMISSION: time for the Tavern's famous Apple Crisps... (too bad, Su!)

9:00pm everyone sings Happy Birthday (in four part harmony) to Deborah Calloway Duke (who is performing on stage tonight) and she says "I love you all and there ain't a damn thing you can do about it!"

And here's a news scoop, Marc Gowan totals up all the ticket sales (140 of us). Everyone here has helped raise over $1900, which translates to more than $10,000 in buying power for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.  Congrats to all the volunteers who pulled this together and those who performed.  Thanks to everyone sitting in the audience with me for coming out to the show for this great cause AND great entertainment.

9:08pm Barry Stoltze, is knockin' us out with the corniest one liners on earth as Joe Penner in The Baker's Broadcast with Joe Penner circa 1934.

9:20pm now... a murder mystery solved by misfits... Mr. & Mrs. North "The Opera Murder" from 1950.
9:25pm uh, oh.. something strange is going on... the North's arrive at their host's home and he's not there. Yep, he's dead.
9: 30pm who's dun it? Helen Ingebristen and Jon Hayden play the clever couple. Elizabeth Whitfield, Sally, is accused of the crime... caught almost red-handed... but Mrs. North thinks she is innocent cuz' she's a terrible liar. Her brother, Dick, played by Tim Peek, fesses up to the murder.... he's lying, too.
9:40pm Mrs. Stephano, Debra Nelson, is accused now. But it ain't her.
9:45pm Lt. Weigand, Clayton Landey, the tough cop sets Sally up for a confession convinced that she's guilty. Mrs. North shows the cops what a sleuth she is.  She's convinced of Sally's innocence
9:47pm Mr. Stephano, Bob Bost, was done in by his best friend and business acquaintance, Spire, played by Tom Thon-- Spire gave Stephano the proverbial Stab.

9:50pm "Now it is time for dimensions in Time and Space told in Future Tense!" This is the final act of the night, a piece from 1950 call "A Logic Named Joe" from Dimension X
9:56pm As you might expect... there are lots of Sci-Fi sound effects in this one.
9:58pm Karen Beyer plays THE brat... does she do this professionally?
10:00pm 17 actors on the stage doing this piece. Littering the stage with scripts when they toss them aside as they finish reading them.
10:10pm big saloon scene with the cast making great crowd noises
10:15pm OK... these Logics are too smart for OUR own good.
10:20pm I think Moe Ralston is about to make Doug Kaye malfunction and blow up

Will Perform Humorous Skits for Food (Prelude to Event #34)

Tonight I'm told to expect an evening of live old-time radio re-creations, complete with on-stage sound effects, presented by members of Atlanta's professional acting unions: the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), and  Actors Equity Association.  Technical support will be provided by the technicians of The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company.
 
I'm attending the 6th Annual Lend Me An Ear! benefit performance, this year titled: "A Six-Pack to Go" held at the New American Shakespeare Tavern. All proceeds go to Atlanta Community Food Bank.  The doors open at 6:15 pm so that you may partake of food and beverages before the show.  The actual performance begins at 7:30 pm.  Come on out for the camaraderie, the entertainment and a really good cause.  (Atlanta BookPALs, Martha Knighton [left] and Doug Kaye [right]. Images from the Atlanta Chapter of the Screen Actors Guild BookPALs website.)

Contemporary Visual Art and Artists (Event #25)

In conjunction with National Arts and Humanities Month the faculty of Emory's Visual Arts Department hosted public screenings for each new segment of the PBS series Art:21--Art in the 21st Century , now in its fifth season. Screenings take place simultaneously at over 300 galleries, museums, universities, schools, libraries, art spaces, and community centers and is organized in collaboration with Americans for the Arts

Of the four segments new to this season, I was very much looking forward to seeing Art:21 - Systems which claimed:

Whether through acts of appropriation, repetition, or accumulation, the artists in this episode realize projects both vast in scope and beyond comprehension.

You can get in on discussions about topics viewed in the film by following http://blog.art21.org/

You have one more chance to get in on a screening, too.  On October 29, The Contemporary will screen Episode 3 and 4.  Episode 3, Transformation, features Yinka Shonibare MBE, Cindy Sherman, and Paul McCarthy, all of whom capture the sensibilities of our age while at times inhabiting the characters they have created. Episode 4, Systems, includes Julie Mehretu, John Baldessari, Kimsooja, and Allan McCollum.

After the screening, I took the time to enjoy Joel Leivick: In the Garden – An Exhibition of Photography in the Emory Visual Arts Gallery.  Mr. Leivick's work will be on display until November 20.  This exhibit is part of a year-long series of exhibitions that strive to consider key issues in contemporary photograph.

"Hold On To Your Seat" (Event #24)

...that's what Corey said.  He and Danielle had never been to a theater before except to see the Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker performance at the Fox while they where in high school.  Well, now they have been to Marietta's Theatre in the Square along with me and some other friends to see The Woman in Black.  In my prelude to this performance, I mentioned that the two of them liked to watch horror movies on TV... well, Danielle does.  Neither Corey nor I like horror movies. Both of them enjoyed the tension and suspense that defined this live performance, though.  They remarked about how connected they felt to the action and how much their imaginations took off with all of the elements (like the sound design) used to transport us to a lonely bog of decades ago.  The action was all around us, not on some two dimensional surface in a box.

Now, here is what one of my other friends had to say about our outing:

I live in Marietta and always wanted to attend a production at Theatre in the Square. It took keif to finally get me there. Let me say that the Theatre is a cozy, intimate setting. Also as a Marietta resident don't be discouraged by the lack of easy parking in the area. This just means you need to get there a little bit earlier!

Now to the production of  The Woman in Black. Loved it. The intimacy of the space enhanced all the sound effects. Even the train passing through the square added to the tension in the play. The two actors, Gil Brady and David Milford, were awesome. I would really like to hear Mr. Milford's "normal" speaking voice. Watching the play and meeting keif's friends who are having a new theater experience reminded me of my first live theater experience. It was Death Trap, another thriller.

For dinner before the show, we all met up at the Big Chicken (it's a KFC).

All The Way From Tallahassee, Florida (Event #23)

I believe it was the Maclay School that traveled all the way from Florida to see Théâtre du Réve (TdR) perform Vive La Fontaine! this past Tuesday at the Horizon Theatre.  There were quite a few school groups at that matinee performance.  The children from Towns Elementary School were also there... calling out the names, in French, printed on each placard announcing the next act.  Impressive.   

Jean de La Fontaine's fables, like The Tortoise and the Hare, transcend language and culture with their universality. Trusting that we share a common understanding of these fables, the very creative, musically-inclined, bilingual actors of TdR are limited only by their imaginations as to how they present each fable in this hyper-visual Suzi Award-winning show.  The performance was as captivating to the sharp, smart, French-speaking students as it was to this theater-loving adult.
  
Théâtre du Réve will perform again in the new year at Emory University, January 14 through the 24 with their production of L'Acteur Sacrifiant by the French-Swiss playwright, Valère Novarina.  (Pictured above, Chris Kayser, Carolyn Cook and Park Krausen from TdR website)

Oh yeah... the food... quoi encore? -- an international meal in the cafeteria of Your DeKalb Farmers Market.  Délicieux!

Fanfare & Tall Tales (Prelude to Events #32 & #33)

In a very short while I will make my way over to the Roswell United Methodist Church to hear the Michael O'Neil Singers (MOS) perform a concert of contemporary works.  The 135 members symphonic choral will perform alongside the 26 member chamber ensemble today to present Fanfare For A New Day.  The program is meant to remind us that "choral music is an art form constantly reinventing itself!"  Fun Factoid: The multi-talented Dr. Michael O'Neil, pictured left, not only founded and leads the MOS, but his solo career has included opera and oratorio performances in Italy and Belgium and appearances on National Public Radio and the Armed Forces Radio Network.  According to their website, tickets to this 3pm performance are available at the door.

This evening, I believe there will be much ado about all the ghosts the folks at the Art Station have found to be haunting the area.  I'm going to find out for myself and take A Tour of Southern Ghosts.  Click on this link to see video that might have you convinced that you should come along and take the tour with me or sometime this week since Halloween is not too far away!  These tours take place in Stone Mountain Park.
(A real Cajun storyteller, pictured right, telling scary tales to folks at the Tour of Southern Ghosts. Photo Art Station.)

Marriage Gone Stale? (Prelude to Event #30)

I'll be at the 2pm matinee of Wife Begins at 40 a British comical farce presented by CenterStage North and written by the reknown English playwright and actor, Ray Cloony.
The play is performed at The Art Place - Mountain View in Marietta and there will be one more performance at 8pm tonight.   See ya' there.

Dance this Weekend (Prelude to Events #28, #29 & #31)

The dance performances I'll be attending this weekend cover a range: styles & techniques, site specificity, size of company, local/touring, budgets, fundamentals, presentation, etc.  How fortunate we are to have a spectrum of choices regarding dance in the Metro area.

Tonight, David Parsons tours into town and teams up his company, Parsons Dance, with the East Village Opera Company for a production with contemporary dance, aerial dance, video and visual effects. Their goal is to present a "modern telling of a tragic love triangle" in their Atlanta premier of REMEMBER ME.  George Thompson, Director of the The Ferst Center, has been enthusiastically promoting this one-night-only performance on the Ferst Center's Facebook page.  It will be fun to catch up with him this evening and tap into his excitement... I believe has a background in dance.  Zoetic Dance Ensemble, on the scene in Atlanta for 10 years now, will lead the Pre-Show Lecture tonight.  Get there early (7-ish) and meet others from the local dance scene as we show up for our peers.  After the performance, you'll have a chance to meet the dancers at a post-performance discussion. (Web image of Parsons Dance from Ferst Center for the Arts website)

Saturday morning at 11am D. Patton White and company Beacon Dance take to the environs to do that for which they are regarded -- site specific work.  Recall The Mapping Project: Celebrating the Natural Environment in DeKalb County.  This was a twelve month public arts performance tour of DeKalb County Parks through site-specific performance.  As I write this, I am eagerly awaiting the flyer announcing the location.  This is an interesting component of Patton's approach -- he intentionally gets audience members to be aware of the space, as are the performers, while in the act of getting to and discovering the place.  I'll post specific details when I get them (or after I return from the show, tonight) so that you can join us.  BTW: refreshments and wine always put the period to a Beacon Dance performance.

UPDATE: Here it is... A Bountiful Feast: A Movable Feast at the Lake Claire Community Land Trust (near Chandler Park).  Performances are at 11:00am (free) and 6:15pm ($5 donation to the Land Trust).  This is a great location filled with gardens, out buildings, a pond, chickens, goats and an Emu, an a strong sense of community. This weekend is their Peace, Love & Art Festival - expect family fun, music, entertainment, "dinner under the stars," raffles, costumes, a parade.  Nice choice, Patton!

Lastly, on Saturday evening I'll join friends and colleagues for The Georgia Ballet's performance of A Sleepy Hollow Story. The curtain goes up at 7:30pm and I think we will be treated to two works before beforehand: Paquita and Enigmatic Tangos, a new work by Janusz Mazon.  Mazon is the Ballet Master & Choreographer for The Georgia Ballet, an organization now celebrating its 50th Anniversary. He was featured in an interview with John Lemley today on WABE's City Cafe.  Here is the link to that interview.  The performances take place this weekend at the Cobb County Civic Center and tickets are still available.  (Web image of the Georgia Ballet's A Sleepy Hollow Story from the Georgia Ballet website)

Barring any unforeseen circumstances,  A Sleepy Hollow Story will be the 31st performance/event that I will attend during National Arts & Humanities Month allowing me to meet the challenge of attending 31 Shows in 31 Days (with one week to spare... Hello, Phileas Fogg!) as part of GOArts: Georgia Open Arts Month.  It will be fun to acknowledge that and celebrate with friends and peers after the performance.  I am very grateful to everyone who has been so enthusiastic and supportive along the way.  I am so grateful to all of you who've opened your doors and made it possible for me to see all of these shows.  For real, you have my deepest gratitude.

I still have a week's worth of shows to attend (I'm hoping to get to 40 by the end of the month) and there's the likely chance that the essence of the original challenge and this blog will take on a life of it's own beyond October.  Weigh in on the idea and let me know what you think. Until then -- See ya' at the show.

Cream of the Crop (Event #22)

Well, I’m not one bit surprised that the young people in the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony (AYWS) would undeniably impress me!  They are so very talented and their hard work shows. Click on this link, listen to a few of their recordings and decide for yourself. This was the first performance I have ever attended in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts concert hall--it is beautiful, I was pleased with the acoustics, and I could easily see the entire symphony. Having played percussion, myself, I particularly enjoyed watching the eight young men and women in the percussion section really hustle to do their job, especially during John Mackey's Turbine... showing their skills, they all hopped between a number of different instruments without missing a beat and that's an understatement! Though it was free, the cost of a ticket would have been money well spent.
The AWYS performs again on December 14th with the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. (Image of the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony from their website)

Time Warp (Events #20 & #21)

Two Shakespeare productions back to back… and murderous ones, at that!   Julius Ceasar and Richard III are showing now at Georgia Shakespeare and the Shakespeare Tavern, respectively.  You can expect a great show at both places.  Here’s the point I would like to emphasize having seen these two performance one right after the other---It is pretty damn cool that we can see productions of Shakespeare's work run the gamut in Atlanta.  What do you mean, keif?  Well, what I mean is that you go to the Tavern and see Shakespeare done in Original Practice on a stage reminiscent of the Globe Theatre and then you go out to Georgia Shakespeare and see contemporary and innovative interpretations of the Bard’s work.  That we can see Shakespeare’s work excellently performed across a spectrum right here in town (and on the same day if you choose to do so) is quite an amazing thing.  I believe that both styles of presentation inform and enhance our appreciation and understanding of Shakespeare’s work and the relevancy it still has today.

Brutus, meet Richard.  Richard, Brutus.

(Images Neal Ghant as Marcus Brutus, courtesy Georgia Shakespeare.  Drew Reeves as Richard III, courtesy Atlanta Shakespeare Company)

Across Town and Around the World -- guest blogger Su (Event #19)

I had thought our mad dash from the Woodruff to L5P was a feat, but this past Saturday we hoofed it (metaphorically anyway) from the east side of the perimeter to Downtown for Theatrical Outfit’s Around the World in 80 Days. Metro-Atlanta epitomizes sprawl for many new urbanists. For the rest of us, that sprawl means a trip across town can seem as far and as exhausting as, ahem, a trip around the world…

In reality, however, nothing in the metro area is that far away. Take the trip.

The versatile, talented actors under Clint Thorton’s deft, seamless direction made their “80 day” trip look effortless and our trip entirely worthwhile. I am not here to write a review and, full disclosure, my company performs at The Balzer Theater—BUT this show was terrific. Theater, at its best, is about the actors, the director, the designers, the audience, and their collective imagination converging on a well-written script. I can appreciate the talents behind expensive, beautiful productions but will always prefer simple stagings where the heart of a show and the creative talents behind it shine through. This production surely shines with its five member cast portraying over 30 characters in a fully-realized world (complete with elephant!) brought to life with hotel luggage carts and a handful of smartly chosen props. I promise you’ll be entertained by its creativity and hilarity.

A postscript to keep up with keif’s food motif: Since an errand took us to the east side of the perimeter, we stopped at Bambinelli’s for the tasty manicotti. Bonnie Bambinelli’s personality is as warm and welcoming as her grandmother’s amazing red sauce (gravy?), and her accent makes me feel at home due to all the Italian-Americans I grew up around in New Jersey. Yummm… comfort food.

Home-Grown Talent -- guest blogger Kristyn

Sunday I ventured out to see Dance and Shout, a variety show covering hit songs and shows from the 1940’s through the present, performed by the ComPAny of Pebblebrook High School, a component of the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School.

Atlanta is very fortunate to have a wealth of opportunities to see excellent performances. We have many strong professional companies and host touring companies from around the world. It is all too easy to overlook the up and coming talent of our city, the future of the performing arts. And what a bright future it looks to be.

I’ve seen several shows put on by these talented teens and they never fail to disappoint. They work hard at their craft, both in school and through the extra rehearsals required for each performance, as well as through outside study. Their dedication shows through in the crispness of their performance. The end result is a delightful blend of talent and enthusiasm. These students still love what they are doing with the joyful abandon of the newly converted. They’ve fallen in love with their calling and that love is infectious. They are also polished enough to deliver an edge of comedy to their presentation, gleefully poking fun at themselves and their song choices, hamming up the competition-styled choreography, and generally inviting the audience to step back into their own youth and revel in the fun.

There is something magical about seeing these shows that professional performances often lack. It isn’t the glitz of the sets and costumes (though they put many small-budget pro shows to shame). Its realizing that many of these performers are on the cusp of an incredible career. Pebblebrook boasts some big names in their alumni listing and its apparent there are more than a few big names still to come. Seeing all of that talent before it is polished to perfection is fascinating and isn’t an experience to be missed. They put on several shows a year at the Cobb County Civic Center and I encourage you to check them out. Here’s hoping we keep some of that homegrown talent local!

Hillarity Ensues (Prelude to Event #27)

OMG... is it already Thursday?  This week is zooming by.  Tonight I will join my fellow ALMA classmates (Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta Class of 2009) at Dad's Garage for their "laugh liquidation sale" and "comedy clearance."  The current state of the economy has spawned The Dad's Garage Going Out of Business Show.  Tickets can be purchased online, by phone or at the door.  There are plenty of places to eat right there in the vicinity of the theater, some are quite notable eating establishments (like 4 or 5 star dining, I'm told.  I wouldn't know.  See Waffle House in previous post!).

(Image swiped from Dad's Garage website.  Pictured here are Chris Blair, Jon Carr, Matt Horgan, Stacy Melich, Gina Rickicki... I think?)

Hear Ye? Hear Ye! (Event #26)

It's close to 6pm and I'm about to make my way over to the The Academy Theatre for the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company's final rehearsal of The Call of Cthulhu. I'm going to attempt to live blog the rehearsal if I can to give you the blow by blow behind the scenes action of just how they make all those sound effects.  But hey, there's really no need to rely upon my reporting...  You should come see the show for yourself.

LIVE BLOGGING the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company (ARTC) rehearsal

7:00pm Bill has been here since before 6pm running wires and setting up the equipment.  The rest of the cast & crew are starting to file in, look over the scripts and set up additional equipment. 
Here is a fun bit of  Info: Bill told me that audience members are welcome to take pictures during ARTC's performances and capture those magic moments of radio theater in the making.  Who else is going to let you do that?  Huh?
7:20pm Alton and Bill are sync'ing their computers with sound effect software they use in addition to the made-made sound effects.  Bill explained that they have a sound effects library online with very specific effects like an engine sound of a specific make and model of automobile.
7:30pm Sonya sets up the Sound Effects table (I think she is one of the crazy sound masters)
7:35pm Brad is playing the musical accompaniment... it sounds like big long medieval trumpets right now.
7:45pm Twenty-five company members are here to make this happen and are having a pow-wow right now.

8:25pm rehearsal begins for Night Call by Brian Phillips (a member of the company).
8:35pm This is a short story you can certainly relate to... it's madness you'll recognize!

8:45pm  The WORST Good Woman in the World by Kelley S. Ceccato
8:56pm  10 performers on stage doing the voices, two Foley actors (those are the "Theater Divas" of the company and sound effects extraordinaires for this evening-- Tennile and Sonya).  Foley Actor's are named for the man who created the role--the actor who makes the sound effects.  This is Tennile's first go at it.
8:59pm  WOW... "down a hole" and it sounds great! Clever story and great use of this medium.
9:13pm ohhh... now that's scary. cool voices trick! [yeah, I said that right! voices.]

9:30pm break for the actors, tech getting ready for the next story, its almost time to rehearse  The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft and adapted for audio by Ron N. Butler.
9:35pm ok...lots of gunshots around here... good thing, i guess, given that there is something mightily big roaring nearby.  Make that Hugely, mightily big.  I think it's Cthulhu warming up.
9:51pm Rehearsal begins for the second act, really intricate with lots of overlay, voices, sounds and sound effects.  Lots of sound engineering going on here and Bill is still making adjustments and tweaking the equipment.
10:30pm Cthuhu is a terrifying creature and only being able to see him in your mind's eye given just the sound effects is really cool... and, ohhh yeah, you'll see him.
10:40pm  director's notes.
[Want to know who all of these performers & actors are?  Read the comments section for names provided by Bill.]

There is a lot that goes into a production like this, a lot of timing and a lot of concentration by everyone in the company about the action that is going on--literally and in our collective imagination.  Close your eyes and listen, and the show is totally satisfying.  Open your eyes and watch them do it, and you've got the icing on the cake!  Performances are Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2:30pm at The Academy Theatre. Tickets are 10 bucks, parking is free.  

Food: Concessions in the theater and lots of options within a block of the theater--discounts at Savage Pizza around the corner, bangers & mash (and a number of brews) at the James Joyce Irish Pub just a block from here past Skip's Vienna Sausages, meat & three at Our Way Cafe and the Avondale Pizza is next door to that along with a Subway.  Across the street is Coyote's Mexican Restaurant and a Waffle House... WAFFLE HOUSE... 24 hours of food.

This is a really going to be an affordable outing and great fun for anyone.  But here is a special message for all you duds and couch potatoes out there--you can redeem yourself to your loved one and still be a cheap-skate.  You can take that special someone out for cheap eats and a unique show and totally wow them.  Put on a nice dress shirt with those flip flops and you'll earn enough brownie points that you may not have to go visit the in-laws at Thanksgiving.  But don't mistake this for a low-brow event... members of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company are very committed to their craft and they do a first class presentation. Their art-form is very accessible.  So for all you high-brows out there... throw on some flip-flops with that dress shirt, come out to the theater, sit back and enjoy.

Film Screening (Prelude to Event #25)

I'll be out the door within the next 30 minutes to head over to Emory University for a screening Art:21 - Systems.  This is one segment of the PBS special Art in the 21st Century which is now in its fifth season.  Screenings of each segment are taking place simultaneously at galleries, museums, universities, etc., across the country during October as part of National Arts and Humanities Month.   Today's screening at Visual Arts Building, Rm 145 as a project of the Emory Visual Arts Dept.  You can get in on discussions about topics viewed in the film by following http://blog.art21.org/

J'aime Les Arts (Prelude to Events #23 & #24)

I'm am so excited to finally get to see a production by Théâtre du Réve.  I speak not a word of French [I got a little help from Google Translator for this post] but am not deterred---au contraire!  Like the opera, super/sub titles are available but I am looking forward to just enjoying the experience and letting the art and acting speak, so-to-say, for itself.  I'll see their award-winning Vive La Fontaine! performed at the Horizon Theatre at today's matinee.

For the evening, I am especially looking forward to seeing Theatre in the Square's production of The Woman in Black.  One reason I'm excited about attending is because two friends on mine who have not attended live theater (except for the Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker while they where in high school) will come along with me to the performance courtesy of Raye Varney.  They enjoy watching scary horror movies on TV so I can hardly wait to see what they think of a live presentation of this particularly suspenseful play.

Je vais vous voir au théâtre!

UPDATE Tuesday morning:
Liz Hartnett said...

So great to meet you on Sunday at GA Shakes, Keif! Sorry I can't be there to hear what you think of our show, but I always love to hear non-French speakers' responses to TdR shows! Keep up the good theatre-going!

REPLY Tuesday afternoon:
keif says...

Bonjour Liz. J'ai eu tellement de plaisir. Le spectacle était très divertissant et la musique est très agréable. Je pensais que la manière dont vous l'ai dit la fable de l'agneau et le loup a été brillamment conçu en utilisant uniquement les yeux. Hourra pour le Théâtre du Rêve!

My Favorite Way to Watch a Show -- guest blogger Kristyn (Event #18)

I mentioned in my prelude to this performance that colleagues from my dance company would join me for the performance.  I thought you might be interested to read a dancer/choreographer's experience of the event.  Allow me, then, to share with you Kristyn McGeehan's perspective:

I am ashamed to admit that I haven’t seen a performance by the Atlanta Ballet in years. As a dancer in this city that’s an awful thing to admit. Its even worse now that I realize what I’ve been missing all this time.

Friday night I attended Mozart's Magic Flute  along with the pre-show lecture by choreographer Mark Godden. I love pre-show talks, getting to know what was going through the choreographer’s mind, how the work made it from their brain to the stage. All of that intrigues me. In this instance I found it to not merely be entertaining, but nearly essential. I’d heard the score for the Magic Flute before but knew nothing of the opera’s tale. Without the pre-show information I fear the nuances Godden brought to piece when he translated it to a ballet would have eluded me.

Godden’s work reminded me why I fell in love with ballet as a child.  Mozart's Magic Flute was whimsical and magical, with a hefty dose of humor. The story was compelling and beautifully expressed through the movement. The dancers themselves portrayed the roles exquisitely, but what impressed me was that the individual movements were able to tell the tale instead of relying solely upon the dancers’ acting to convey the story. Far too often choreographers create beautiful movement that is incidental to the story. They trust to facial expressions and liner notes to keep the audience up to speed. Godden instead created a rich vocabulary that allowed the dancers to truly live in their roles. I think the highest praise I can give as a dancer is that I wanted to be in those movements. It was difficult to sit still, but that’s my favorite way to watch a show – at the edge of my seat, yearning to be up on the stage.

There are two more performances of Mozart's Magic Flute this Friday and Saturday evening at 8pm
at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center.  Tickets are available online and in person through the Atlanta Ballet.  Discounted tickets will be available on the day of each show thru AtlanTIX.

Honors Program for Talented Young Musicians (Prelude to event #22)

Tonight I'm going over to Emory University to see the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony perform their first concert of the 2009-2010 season. This symphony began as the honor wind ensemble for high school youth in the Atlanta metropolitan area... that was in 1988. Now with two decades behind them, this organization has established its presence "to provide a positive musical experience in an artistic environment for advanced instrumentalists in wind and percussion performance."

This will be the second time I've attended a wind symphony concert during GOArts Month, just last Sunday, I saw the Atlanta Wind Symphony perform. Content wise, the performances seem quiet different so I'm looking forward to hearing the youth organization's repertoire which is noted to include Folk Dances by Dmitri Shostakovich, Sketches on a Tudor Psalm by Fisher Tull, and Turbine by John Mackey.  This free concert will begin at 8pm at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Parking is free in the adjacent parking deck.  There are a number of dining opportunities in the Emory Village just a few blocks away.  See ya' at the show!

Double Dose of Shakespeare (Prelude to Events #20 and #21)

I really like Shakespeare.  I'll pick up the matinee for Julius Caesar presented by Georgia Shakespeare and performed at the Conant Performing Arts Center on the campus of Oglethorpe University.  Afterward, I'll zip over to midtown to the Shakespeare Tavern to see Richard III performed by the Atlanta Shakespeare Company.  I plan to eat over at the Tavern. (Image from Georgia Shakespeare website)

Ask (Events #16 and #17)

Thursday night I was asked questions at both events I attended.  TATS: the experience lets us know up front that we shouldn’t make assumptions about one’s motives for having tattoos.  The performance revolves around questions and Mattie, the central character of the piece, leaves us where we began with the question, "So, what do you want to know?" 

Earlier in the evening, I attended a Salon hosted by Several Dancers Core in their studio.   D. Patton White led the salon first with video footage of CORE Performance Company's recent in situ work and then company members performed excerpts of that ongoing work.  Patton asked all of us in attendance specific questions regarding the imagery in the video and sought additional input.  The next Salon will be November 12.  Both the Salon and Lunchtime in the Studio (on-going for 10 years, now) are free and open to anyone who is interested in sharing their impressions of the work-in-progress with the company.

And the food... oh yeah, Pharm House catered the food for SDC's Salon and it was delicious.  The grilled veggies were great.

Feeling Like Phileas Fogg (Prelude to Event #19)

If you think that traveling around the Atlanta area to see 31 shows in 31 days is quite an adventure,  you're right!  Imagine, though, how extraordinary and exciting a journey around the globe in 80 days would be, other than the fact that your fortunes would be at stake should you not complete the terms of the challenge.

Yeah, Phileas Fogg makes me look like an amateur as he embarks on an "Amazing Race."  Tonight I'll be following him at Theatrical Outfit's production of Around the World in 80 Days performed at The Balzer Theater.  For those of you inclined to do a little homework before seeing the show, check this out: Les Voyages Extraordinaires, The Works of Jules Gabriel Verne, 8 Feb 1828 to 24 Mar 1905. (Paul Hester, Tom Key and Bill Murphey in Around the World in 80 Days. Photo courtesy of  Theatrical Outfit)

"Post-Millennium Glory" (Prelude to Event #18)

Tonight I'm heading back to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center to see the Atlanta Ballet perform Mozart's Magic Flute choreographed by Mark Godden.  He and John McFall, the Atlanta Ballet's Artistic Director, will give a pre-show lecture this evening so I'll be there 7pm to hear that.  Other members of my dance company will also be there to catch the lecture and performance.  If you're a dancer then come on out and join the rest of us tonight, it's not too late to get tickets.

The performance tonight should be quite a spectacle, as is the case for Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). The Atlanta Opera will perform it in April of 2010. Tonight's performance by the Atlanta Ballet will feature singers, dancers, and an orchestra.  Expect a classic feel and a contemporary look. I believe this production is rated PG. (Atlanta Ballet company artists Nadia Mara &; Christian Clark.  Photo: Charlie McCullers)

Food:   Well, some of my pals are thinking about heading over to Chow Baby in the Galleria nearby... all I can think about is the macaroni & cheese over at the OK Cafe.  I'll try to find out where the corps de ballet likes to eat when they are in the area and pass that info along to you.  Tip: Parking across the street from the Cobb Center is free I think, the adjoining parking deck is $5 and the valet service is $10.  Just thought you'd might like to know.

Is A Person Allowed to Have This Much Fun? (Event's #14 & #15)

Well, I came home from the Center for Puppetry Arts with my string puppet in hand (flapping away), a flying dinosaur that I knew not the name of unlike my counterparts -- young children in the puppet-making workshop who could name all kinds of dinosaurs.  I also came home singing "fly-iing, fly-iiing, flyyyyyyy-iiing."  Jon Ludwig's Dinosaurs is a real treat for those who Kathy Cox might have otherwise left behind. It was a real treat for me, too.  Puppetry is sheer genius.
 
The Ghastly Dreadfuls II: Handbook of Practical Hauntings and Other Phantasmagoria...OMF**G.  This was great fun, intelligent humor and showmanship, wonderful puppets and stories.  Besides hamming-it-up dancing on stage with some ghoul, my theater companion insisted on sitting at the table with a lone masked fellow during intermission [shown here with his big cheesy grin, but I know he was a bit melancholy cuz' he couldn't enjoy his beer through those tightly clenched teeth].  I humored them both and conducted a little interview that went something like this:

Me: Hi, I'm writing a blog about all the shows I'm seeing and folks who I meet at those shows.  Would you like to say something for me to post on my blog?
Him: The Devil likes beer.
Me: OK.
Him: Send money, I need a raise.
Me: If you were the devil, that would be even funnier, I mean, being raised, y'know...
Him: I am the Devil!

Yes, I was busy during intermission, making lots of notes, you know, randomly eaves-dropping on your conversations and comments just so I could post them here for others to enjoy... busted!  Here's my favorite:  "I never thought I'd be yelling Ghoooost Busterrrrrs... with Julie!"  Well, you did... we all did!  I overheard this one, too, "I know what you kids are up to!"  And those pesky folks from Oglethorpe University's Theater Department sitting right behind me had to go and talk about food--pancakes, boysenberry syrup, y'know... and that gave me an idea... IHOP after the show.  The Devil likes IHOP.

All Eyes on Laramie (Event #13)

The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, an Epilogue... nothing I can say carries nearly the weight of the voices from this performance.  Without the obvious (visual) markers of place and time denoted by sets and costumes and that type of thing, this staged reading can be anytime and anyplace---and it is.  In reality, it not only plays out in Wyoming but also in Georgia.  It's a continuing story that plays out around the world and in our own back yard.  After the performance, a few of us discussed this very thing and asked if we were unrealistic in our expectations of the citizens of Laramie when the problem belongs to us, too?  I was particularly moved by the stories about hearts that were changed, eyes that were opened, champions of compassion and understanding, and unexpected allies when they were needed most.  (Image:  Romaine Patterson, close friend of Matthew Shepard, mourning at the fence where he was murdered.  The fence has since been removed.)

The legendary André De Shields (in town for his upcoming production at the Alliance opening Oct. 28th) did us a great kindness by opening Monday night's performance.  Patrick McColery, the Alliance Theatre's Artistic And Literary Associate, led the effort to make this work available in Atlanta on this sad anniversary.  Eleven years after Matthew Shepard's death, this production was performed in 150 theaters, 50 states and  9 countries according to The Laramie Project website.  Here are two articles that covered this Epilogue: a Newsweek article and an NPR story.  Sincere props to Freddie Ashley and the entire cast.

If You Play a Brass or Reeded Instrument... (Event #12)

...then you can't have any cheesecake until AFTER the concert!

Yeah, that's my advice.  My friend David plays with the Atlanta Wind Symphony (AWS) so I was glad I got to see him perform this past weekend. Narration about the growth of AWS through 30 seasons accompanied Sunday's performance that recreated AWS's very first concert and I got to know this symphony a little better.  Elaborate, you say?  Well, ok, trombonist Merle Knotts has performed (and still is) with the AWS for its entire 30 year history.  Here is a rendition of the song the AWS played to close the concert... Prokofiev's Opus 99 (this is the Dobcross Band). It's so bright and upbeat, I just can't stop whistling it.  The AWS performs this concert again at 4pm on October 25th at Chamblee First United Methodist Church.

And the food.... well, cheesecake, of course!  You don't think I made that up, do you?  The Cheesecake Factory provided cheesecakes for the concert in celebration of their 30th anniversary, too.

Analyzing Dance and Tatoos (Prelude to events #16 & #17)

Tomorrow I'll have lunch over at the studios of Several Dancers Core (SDC), right on the square in downtown Decatur where the MARTA station is (ride MARTA to this!) for their Lunchtime in the Studio series which is now in its tenth year. This is a chance to enjoy an intimate behind the scenes look at CORE Performance Company's creative process. In conjunction with this event, SDC will host a Salon in the same location at 6pm. Free lunch and refreshments are a hallmark of both events. Food will be provided by the Brick Store Pub and Cafe Alsace. (SDC Company Member Blake Dalton, photo credit Keiko Guest)

Tomorrow evening, I'm heading over to the 14th Street Playhouse for TATS: the experience. This is a collaboratively created production led by Colleen Whitmore whose production company runs the college circuit. She told me that interest in this show has been great so extra performances have been added. Here is a video teaser for TATS: the experience.

Ohhhh, they are MUCH more than marionettes! (Prelude to Events #14 & #15)

It's pretty well established that the Center for Puppetry Arts is a real treasure. Here's a link to their "About Us" webpage to give you an overview of some of the things they do.

I will be at the Center at 10am this morning to see Jon Ludwig's Dinosaurs and then I'm gonna' stick around and make a dinosaur puppet of my own. Wednesday evening I'm attending the
The Ghastly Dreadfuls II: Handbook of Practical Hauntings and Other Phantasmagoria in preparation for their October 15 Opening.

Both of these shows run into November and I'll follow up with more info later.

Laramie Project Continues (Prelude to event #13)

Tonight I plan to attend The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, an Epilogue, a staged reading produced as a partnership between the Alliance Theatre & Actor's Express. This epilogue to The Laramie Project was written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project and is directed here, locally, by Freddie Ashley. I say that because this event is simultaneously taking place at over 100 other theaters across the country. The show begins at 8pm on the Alliance Theatre’s Hertz Stage. Admission is free, but you must reserve your seat by calling the Box Office at 404.733.5000. [For more information about the play and the context surrounding it, I've included information below for the Alliance's website.]

Before I go to the staged reading, however, I plan to attend the Arts & Culture Mayoral Forum coordinated by MAACC. As good fortune would have it, both events take place at the Woodruff Arts Center. The Mayoral Forum is in WAC's Rich Auditorium, and then I'll zip around to the Hertz Stage.

SOAPBOX: For both of these events, I feel it's important for people of conscience to make a stand about the values that contribute to justice, beauty, goodwill, [add your value, here] and peace (if you're interest lies in those kind of things,for example). Unrest, civic engagement and peaceful protests in places like Burma, Columbia or Iran take place at the risk of potentially losing one's life. Considering the odds we face (and the low risk of injury to life or limb), it would be derelict to let these opportunities pass us by. We get what we stand up for & we get stuck with whatever we complacently sit by for.

----------------------------------------------------------

The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, an Epilogue

The Incident:
On October 6th of 1998 Matthew Shepard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard) was beaten and left to die tied to a fence in the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. He died 6 days later. His murder became a watershed historical moment in America that highlighted the violence and prejudice lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face.

The Play:
A month after the murder, the members of Tectonic Theater Project (http://www.tectonictheaterproject.org/) traveled to Laramie and conducted interviews with the people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, which they later made into a film for HBO. The piece has been seen by more than 50 million people around the country.

The Epilogue:
The epilogue focuses on the long-term effects of the murder of Matthew Shepard on the town of Laramie. It explores how the town has changed and how the murder continues to reverberate in the community. The play also includes new interviews with Matthew’s mother Judy Shepard and Mathew’s murderer Aaron McKinney, who’s serving two consecutive life sentences.

Come Fly with HAIR -- guest blogger Su (Events #10 & #11)

I confess to being the previously unnamed beneficiary of keif’s mad quest for 31 shows in 31 days. As her frequent guest to these art events, I have—already in these first 11 days—enjoyed an amazing array of what Atlanta has to offer in the arts. I do not, however, have the commitment of attending an event each and every day or of reporting back in the blog. So when she asked me to guest blog I could hardly refuse.

Saturday we upped the madness quotient with two shows in one evening: the 8pm performance of Come Fly with Me at the Alliance Theatre followed by the 10:30pm closing performance of HAIR at 7 Stages. The only downside of the plan was the need to dash out of the Alliance mid-curtain call to get across town for the curtain at 7 Stages. I detest this practice and become irate when I see it. I guess I’ll need to be more open to the possibility of mitigating factors in the future…

The Woodruff Arts Center’s shared lobby always adds a little chaos and thus excitement. We ran into an acquaintance headed to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s concert, but who had already seen and loved Come Fly with Me. She wasn’t alone—what a treat to have these world-class dancers and musicians on an Atlanta stage!

Our later race across town brought us a whole different treat. Del Hamilton and the cast of HAIR presented a buoyant, heart-wrenching, and entirely relevant interpretation of a musical theater landmark and we were happy, with most of the rest of the audience, to dance with the cast on stage at the end of the show.

We produce great art in this city, in venues both large and small. Get out and see something!

You Look Stunning (Event #9)

Ya' know, I don't really get dressed up very often but this was one of those times. And as such, I wasn't going to waste it on a drive-thru at Taco Bell. I splurged a bit and even treated my guest and myself to valet parking -- I've always been treated so well by valets, I think they find it pretty funny to park the work truck, with tools and gear under feet... maybe even funnier to see me step out of it.

As you approach the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, itself an objet d'art, anticipation builds and is met when you step inside. The audience, orchestra, performance space, setting, costumes, and the performers themselves all bring something very special to the experience. The opera is an elegant affair from start to finish and that's part of the allure.

To make that experience more palpable, costumes created for the Atlanta Opera and worn in their productions are on display at every performance this year! Pictured here, members of the Lewis family stand beside Soprano Erin Wall's costume from TAO's 2008 production of Cold Sassy Tree based on Olive Ann Burns' novel of the same name set in Georgia.

The Lewis children have already seen three and two performances, respectively, by TAO and are well-informed about each one. It's great to see a family share this kind of experience together.

I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. The sound was wonderful and clear in both locations where I was seated (near the back of orchestra seating and a stage left loge). Sight lines were great at each of those locations, too. I asked for the loge seating specifically to enjoy the Maestro, his orchestra, and the interaction with the performers--I wasn't let down. I felt that the orchestra nicely accompanied the singers and that the singers, soloists and chorus, all engaged the audience. Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore was a bright and fun-loving way for the Atlanta Opera to welcome patrons and guests to the thirtieth season of elegant entertainment. I had a great time.

Oh yeah, instead of eating on the run in the car (truck), my guest and I had dinner at the OK Cafe after the performance--it was icing on the cake!

Going for Goosebumps -- guest blogger Jude

I LOVE live theater. I'm definitely in it for the goosebumps. You can laugh and cry at home, but tingles only come from seeing it live. Grey Gardens, Actor's Express 22nd season opener, was amazing. What a crazy concept to make it a musical from Jackie O's eccentric relatives demise, but it worked and was tremendously entertaining. Act I takes place on the day of Little Edie's engagement. Mother Edie drives the Kennedy boy away (Joe). Both Edies and the house go downhill in Act II. Special treat were a young Lee and Jackie Bouvier. A former AE intern was in the audience using one of her season tickets, awarded to each intern for the next season (great idea). Check out the rest of AE's season at www.actors-express.com.

Going Bach to the Beginning (Prelude to Event #12)

The Atlanta Wind Symphony opens it season with a special recreation of it's very first performance thirty years ago. To authenticate the experience all the more, original conductors of the AWS, G. Ellis Cannon and Jim Moody will conduct the symphony once again along with the current Musical Director, Dr. Patrick Carney.

There will be two performances of this concert: 3pm on Sun., Oct. 11, at the Roswell Cultural Arts Centert and again at 4pm on October 25th at Chamblee First United Methodist Church. I'll be going to the concert tomorrow and here's a bit of what's on the menu: Serenata for Flute and Band, Second American Folk Rhapsody, highlights from “The King and I,” Blue Tango, marches and more. Here's the link to AWS's ticketing information. (photo Atlanta Wind Symphony at Carnegie Hall)

Saturday Night Singing & Dancing (Prelude to Events #10 & #11)

Where will you be tonight? If you haven't made plans yet, remember that the Emory Community Choral Festival will take place at Emory University's Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. The event brings together four of Atlanta's many choral organizations--that means 4x your entertainment value and it won't cost you a thing to attend or park. With that kind of savings, you can pay ahead for tickets to the next event of any of the four companies that will be singing...the Atlanta Sacred Chorale, the Atlanta Boy Choir, Just Voices and The Georgia Festival Chorus. If you don't get the tickets, then at least purchase a few CD's and support your local tenors, contra-altos, and the rest of the crew. If you do go, be sure to look for Joe Winter. He'll be the one who gets a Tweet or two out from the event. He'll blog about it here a little later.

As for me... I'll be doing double duty tonight! It starts with Event #10 -- Twyla Tharp's Come Fly With Me presented by The Alliance Theatre. This is a big deal for those of us in the dance community. Tharp and her company set a gold bar standard and it comes from a deep commitment to their craft and untold hours of work. It's exciting that The Alliance and the Woodruff Arts Center are strongly behind this production. There are four more performances of Come Fly With Me: today, Oct. 10 at 2:30 & 8pm and tomorrow at 2:30 & 7:30pm. It is not too late to witness the remarkable skill and beauty Twyla and her team have brought to the stage.

If you have already seen Come Fly With Me and liked it, I hope you'll continue to support dance in this region. Emory, the Rialto and the Ferst Center are notable for the top caliber and diverse dance performances they bring to this city. Kennesaw State, Agnes Scott, Spelman, Emory, Brenau University and the Univ. of Georgia have reputable dance programs where one can earn a Dance Degree. The Atlanta Ballet turns 8o this year and The Georgia Ballet turns 50; both offer us a range of dance options from the classical traditions to contemporary presentations. Dance that celebrates cultural richness is represented in our area, as well, by companies like ANAMICA, AIRE Flamenco, Giwayen Mata, Atlanta Chinese Dance Company, Ballethnic, Jahara Phoenix Dance Company, and Manga African Dance. And, in addition to these organizations, there are 27 other local contemporary, liturgical, modern and ballet companies I have not listed. If you are interested in staying abreast of the local dance scene, then be sure to check out the fledgling Atlanta Dances blog or ATL Dance Source.

Onto Event #11 -- HAIR. We all know what it's about... we don't, however, necessarily know what 7 Stages' Director Del Hamilton has up his sleeve. All I can say is the Tribe in Little Five Points late on a Saturday Night... are you kidding me?? Welcome Home!---this could be more than an musical, I think it's gonna' be an event. I expect a lotta' love to spill out into the streets when the doors of 7 Stages fly open. As of this posting there are only 50 tickets left to the and those are for the 10:30pm show only.

Sydney Ellis and the folks at 7 Stages invite you to enjoy the many delicious coffee offerings (as well as beer, wine, and pastries) you'll find at Java Lords in the lobby of 7 Stages. See you at the show!

An Evening of Sophistication (and probably Taco Bell) (Prelude to Event #9)

On my way out to see this now. How can you resist? Just listen to this!

This is the Atlanta Opera's 30^th Anniversary Season. There are only two performances left for The Elixir of Love... tonight at 8pm and Sunday afternoon, Oct. 11 at 3 p.m. I am especially excited to see Yoel Levi return to the conductor's podium for this performance. And it will be fun to see Georgia native and Metropolitan Opera soprano Leah Partridge. Tenor Bruce Sledge will try hard to win her heart for the rest of the night. (Partridge and Sledge, photo courtesy the the Atlanta Opera)

The venue, the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre is easy to get to with plenty of parking ($5 in the adjoining parking deck, I think.) And yes... I'll probably dine at the acclaimed and perennial favorite of people on the run... Los Belles de Tacos.

Our Pal Joe is Singing... and Blogging

Tomorrow night, Sat. Oct. 10, the Emory Community Choral Festival will take place at the Emory University Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. The Atlanta Sacred Chorale will host will host three other local choral groups, the Atlanta Boy Choir, Just Voices, and The Georgia Festival Chorus, to celebrate Atlanta's long and respected choral history. Likewise, the annual concert honors the memory of Denese Irvin, an Atlanta Sacred Chorale co-founder. Denese is remembered for her dedication to choral music and the welfare of children. I think this may be the twentieth year this concert has been held. I can only imagine how remarkable it will be when all those voices join in unison.

The event is free and open to the public and we're going to hear about it first hand from ACPA's I.T. Manager, Joe Winter, who sings with Just Voices. Parking is also free and the program begins at 8pm.

Those Superstars at the Legacy Theatre Want You to Know... (Event #8)

Austin (Theo):
What's up guys!! You gotta come see our show it's hilarious, trust me I KNOW!! (You'll come to find what I mean by that when you see the show!) ;-)

Benjamin (Kicker):
You will love this show! It is my favorite play ever!

Paige (Joanna):
This show was so cool to do! After our 2nd rehearsal the cast were already a family. Everyone is so amazing and supportive-luv ya guys!

Austin (Theo)
Yeah, like Paige said, we felt so close together, we would always be laughing with each other and everyone is just so nice to each other.

Maddie (Iris)
I love that name, iris :)
This show is so Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!
paige is a sister, Brent is an older brother, and kicker and theo are like siblings :)
GO CHILDREN'S LETTERS TO GOD!!!!!!!!

Brent (Brett):
Hilarious, I know? Haha. Well, I'm the oldest person in the cast. :-) And, I'm not gonna lie, when I first walked into rehearsal, I thought that I wasn't going to be able to connect with the cast, but I did. It took like one day, and then we were like family. I've known Paige the longest, and she's like my sister. Iris is like Paige's best friend, who happens to be my friend too, but Paige doesn't like it so much. Haha. Kidding. Austin is like the little guy who is so cool so we hang out with him. And then Ben... oh word... Ben is like my little brother, Chad. Actually, they're the same person. I'm pretty sure!! But on another note, this show is so great and I'm going to be really sad when it's over in 3 weeks (I HAVE SEVERE SEPARATION ISSUES, not kidding...) but alas we have 3 weeks left. It'll be awesome. Come see Children's Letter's to God!!!!! :-) Thanks!

keif (keif):
Yeah, like if you are planning to come see this show, you're gonna' have a great time. When I heard these guys sing and harmonize, I was blown away. You can really tell that they are having a great time on the stage. I will tell you that the technical and production crew are having a great time, too. Positive energy professionally done by the entire cast and crew.

The production opens tonight, Friday Oct. 9, and runs until October 25th. From Avondale Estates (on ATL's eastside) it will take you 35-45 mins. to get to the theater---it was easy.
(Pictured above: Maddy, Ben, Paige, Brent and Austin. Photo courtesy of The Legacy Theatre.)

Old Ways and a New Day (Event #7)

Two Words: Family Reunion... every time I go to a True Colors Theatre Company production, there is as much activity and dialogue in the lobby as there is on stage. The atmosphere around their productions is always social and familial and everyone one of us is part of that family. I think that's real important because Kenny Leon and his crew never fail to take you on a ride that explores all sides of our familial ties. Their aim-- that you leave the theater thinking...

I posed a few questions to myself in my prelude post to this show and am better prepared to address them after seeing it, talking about it with my theater companion and thinking about it for the past two days. Here is how I understand the story now:

Reconciling oneself and old ways with the imminent change of things to come, the True Colors cast of characters in The Sty of the Blind Pig confront their demons (or at least they fight with them) at a time (in the 1950's) when then landscape is changing and the nation is confronting (well, actually, fighting) its own demons -- racial inequality, a quagmire war, and the scourge of poverty. The Civil Rights Movement is a backdrop to this play and lies just beyond the triple-locked door of the soon-to-be-condemned home of this southern family transplanted in Chicago.

I set myself up to search for parallels between this play and issues we confront today. Are they there??? All I can ask is, "Are you're fighting your own demons?" To further this conversation, there will be a Post Show Discussion with the Cast on October 13, 2009.

Make an entire evening out of the event by having dinner before, or drinks afterward, at the nearby Landon’s Restaurant and Bar. Landon's is sponsoring the Blues & Booze - True Colors Happy Hour Series in conjunction with the show. The first one is tonight, Friday Oct. 9, from 6:30-7:30 PM @ the Southwest Arts Center featuring Blues Vocalist Andrew Black and the next one is Friday, Oct. 23, with Blues Guitarist Chicago Joe Jones from 6:30-7:30 PM @ the Southwest Arts Center. The Sty of the Blind Pig runs through November 1st at the Fulton County Southwest Arts Center.

The Elixer... I'll Need Some By Night's End (Prelude to Event #9)

Ok... I'm gonna' need some help here. Three things at the same time. I'll pick one and I'll recruit some folks to cover the others. A lot of really great shows are closing this weekend and I recommend that you pick one and go for it. I just learned that Grey Gardens, for which Actor's Express has garnered much acclaim, is now sold out. Same with HAIR, but I think a few modifications have been made to expand their space so that you can still get in to join the Tribe. I say, to all of those who have never done so before, "Get thee to an Opera." That's where I'm going to be.

Joanna and Su, my colleagues at brooks & company dance, will go to over to 7 Stages tomorrow night for the closing weekend of HAIR and will blog about everything they see. This production kicks off 7 Stages' 30th Anniversary and here is the remaining performance schedule: Thurs. Oct 8 @8pm, Fri. Oct 9 @8pm, Sat. Oct 10 @7pm and Sat. Oct 10 @10:30pm <-- expect something communal, festive & fun.

If Freddie or Scott can squeeze in just one more person, my friend Jude will cover Grey Gardens over at Actor's Express in the King Plow Arts Center. (This year is their 22nd Season) UPDATE 12pm 09.10.09 : Jude's in!

I'll head up to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre to be part of the Atlanta Opera's 30^th Anniversary Season to see The Elixir of Love. There will be one more performance on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 11 at 3 p.m. This production features Georgia native and Metropolitan Opera soprano Leah Partridge and tenor Bruce Sledge. The Atlanta Opera Orchestra is conducted by former Atlanta Symphony music director Yoel Levi. So, for all of you Opera Neophytes, Just listen to this! and then drop me a comment to let me know that you'll join me at Friday's performance of The Elixir of Love.

Your Thoughts on The Da Vinci / Rogan Comparison

Jennifer Long is the Membership and Education Coordinator at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center.

Jennifer said...

Funny what a small town Atlanta can be. Or what a small world it is.. I met keif at the Foundation Center's Resource Market for the Arts (great networking obviously) on Monday then ran into her again later that day at the High (I'm a sucker for free). I've been intrigued by her commitment to experience 31 days of art in Atl. Hope she had some coffee w/her lunch at Octane yesterday!

As for the Da Vinci drawings at the High and Will Rogan's photos at the Contemporary, size does matter. There is amazing detail to be seen and examined in both. No need for magnifying glasses here however. Rogan sheds a bright light on his work in our gallery. Come see for yourself.

Almost Showtime (Prelude to Event #8)

Heading down to The Legacy Theatre in Tyrone, Georgia, on Thursday evening to watch the final dress rehearsal of Children's Letters to God. There are lots of great performing arts organizations beyond the beltway and across the state and I'm glad to have the opportunity to visit this one and watch these young actors.

Pictured are of the stars of Children's Letters to God: Austin, Maddie, Brent, Paige and Ben.(photo courtesy The Legacy Theatre)

Here's a Tip: If you ever want to see a theater production, musical concert or dance performance but can't attend the scheduled shows, call the company ahead of time and see if they'll let you attend the dress rehearsal instead---leave a donation in lieu of a ticket.

Old Ways and a New Day (Prelude to Event #7)

Reconciling oneself and old ways with the imminent change of things to come, the True Colors cast of characters in The Sty of the Blind Pig confront the watershed changes that the the Civil Rights Movement is about to usher in... meaning that the play (from the 1970's) is set in the 1950's. I'm wondering how close this will parallel the watershed moments of our time, the '08 election and the racial issues and war/anti unrest that we face today? I'm sure I'll find out at the play this evening presented at the Fulton County Southwest Arts Center's newly completed performing arts center.

And speaking of the Civil Rights Movement, this week Dr. Joseph E. Lowery will be celebrating his 88th birthday. On October 11th, there will be a theatrical production at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, on the Morehouse College campus, to celebrate the work of Dr. Lowery.The event is open to the public and you can find out information about tickets by following this link to The Lowery Institute. Aretha Franklin and Savion Glover will be featured performers (and I wouldn't be surprised if other friends show up to honor the dean of the movement) . Happy Birthday!

Your Thoughts About the Leonardo Da Vinci Exhibition

Lost in Yonkers said...

As one of your friends who accompanied you to this event, I gotta say that you captured the event, observers, and the work perfectly. Like many, I have been fascinated by Da Vinci and his genius. As a scientist with some art and music background, Da Vinci reconfirmed by belief that science goes hand in hand with creativity.
One of my all time favorite quotes is by Einstein.."Imagination is more important than knowledge." Da Vinci's notes and art shows us this.

At The Contemporary - LIVE BLOGGING (Event #6)

I've been over here at The Contemporary since lunchtime [and today's lunch was recommended by local artist, Hope Hilton: Pesto Grilled Cheese sandwich from Octane, a 1/2 mile walk from here up Marietta Street. The ATL skyline to the east, on the other side of the North/South Connector, parallels your walk to this much favored coffee shop].

Can I just say how v. cool Harry Shearer's exhibition is?! Absolutely brilliant and timely. You may be thinking... Harry Shearer, hmmmm.... harry sher... is he that guy who?? Yes, he is that guy. He'll be at The Contemporary for a re-scheduled lecture fairly soon.

Now for the comparison/contrast that I set out to do: (refer to previous entry for Met the Genius)
I found many parallels in Will Rogan's Remnant World exhibition today and the Da Vinci exhibition yesterday. The most obvious was the small size of Rogan's photographs and the need to get close to to note all the details in each image that was similar to Da Vinci's work. Seeing all of them together in context strengthened the presentation similar to the presentation at the High. Rogan's silver gelatin photographs depict a retro black and white aesthetic and the old-looking quality made me think of the brown ink gesture drawings and motifs in the Da Vinci exhibition.

There are certainly deeper aspects to my comparisons/contrasts and I had a chance to compare notes with Jennifer Long, the Membership and Education Coordinator at The Contemporary. The two of us ran into each other at the High's exhibition yesterday. I'm hoping she'll have a chance to post her impressions of the works we've examined over the past few days.

The Contemporary has free admission on Thursdays with extended hours until 8pm. Do yourself a favor and pop in there this Thursday or next and see these current exhibitions and others. Be sure to create a Fundred dollar bill for a really good cause while you're there... you are just gonna' have to ask about the one.

Be Contemporary (Prelude to Event #6)

Well, I hope my art history professors will be happy to know that I feel compelled to do a bit of comparison/contrast while the work of Da Vinci, Donatello, Rustici and their contemporaries of the late 1400's are fresh in my mind. Thus, I'm going to fastforward half a millennium and head over to the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center today and look for the connections. C'mon over and let's talk art.

Met the Genius (Event #5)

If you need glasses for reading or seeing things up close, then be sure to take them with you to see the the High Museum's Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit. I thought that the magnifying glass they offered would would do the trick.... um.... no. I retrieved my glasses from the coat check and used them ALONG WITH the magnifying glass. Perhaps you're beginning to get a sense of how small and intricate some of these works are. Forget being able to read or write forward or backwards, heck, all the notes on Leonardo's manuscripts are scribed so so tiny. Many sketches and images were no more than a inch or two tall. And herein lies the joy of this exhibit for me.

First, when you have your face merely inches away from a small sketch by this artist/engineer, it is as if all time compresses. Leonardo and I have about 500 years between us but when I was so close to his work (tiny work) such that I was able to see the weave of the paper, each hash mark and stroke of his pen and the subtle shading of his chalks, I felt close to the man. I felt his presence, or at least I saw it in his work.

Second, because you have to get pretty close to much of the work to view it, by default you end up pretty close to anyone else viewing the same artifact. Two very dear friends of mine gave into my pleading today and joined me at the High on their way home from work. Here we are going to every piece in the collection, closing in on a work with our magnifying glasses, and saying "Wow, look at this," like kids discovering ants carrying objects. As grown-ups, we just don't generally get that close enough to one another to be fascinated by the discovery of something intricate, deliberate, and creative between us.

I am most enjoying this challenge (seeing lots of art each day of this month) when I share it with friends and loved ones. We have all had fun meeting up for one event or another. We've had great conversations afterward. We've seen and heard beautiful things together.

Between the three of us, today, we reached a consensus that the Drapery Study for a Kneeling Figure Seen in Profile (1470's) was absolutely stunning and one of our favorite pieces. The image is available in the Museum Gift Shop matted and enlarged 2 or 3 times its original size and it does not have nearly the same impact. The smaller original image packs a whallop. [Hey Catherine Fox, how about that for a critique... "packs a whallop."]

Look for works like Study for the Casting of the Sforza Monument (1492-1493) to get a real glimpse into the mind of a man who was, yes, a genius.

This exhibit will remain at the High Museum until February 2010. Other notes: Lunch today was at the Landmark Diner across the street from the Rialto after the Resource Market for the Arts concluded. From there, I hopped on the MARTA two blocks away and took the newly named "Red Line" from the Peachtree Center to the Arts Center station (well... not exactly... I headed south first for a station or two until I realized that the Woodruff Arts Center --where the High Museum is located--is really nowhere near the airport.)

Meet the Genius (Prelude to Event #5)

UPDATE 4:40pm: No lines! No waiting! Come on down!!

Free Preview today from 12-7 pm of the exhibit which opens tomorrow. (The last tickets will be issued at 6pm)
Leonardo Da Vinci: Hand of the Genius
High Museum of Art Atlanta
See you there.

A Sumptuous Treat (Event #4)

I expected this afternoon's affair to be quite nice... it totally exceeded my expectations. When I let myself into Ivy Hall, I just stood in the foyer in absolute awe. The old Peters' House/Mansion (now Ivy Hall) was restored magnificently... magnificently. As a life-long student of art and architecture, my day would have been made if I had done nothing else the rest of the afternoon. Alas, I proceeded up the the winding, deep-tread, dark-stained, carved wood stairs to the second floor. Chairs were arranged in about five short rows and the members of the quartet were tuning up.

They opened with a piece from Hayden and continued with short works by Benjamin Franklin (surprise!), Charles Ives, Giacomo Puccini (surprise, again), Mozart referencing Hayden, and Hayden leaving us with his "Joke." These selections were chosen because of their nicknames or because they are a novelty. Members of the quartet gave interesting introductions to each piece. And although I may suggest that the performance was lighthearted, these musicians were by no means light-weights... they were so articulate, so deft, so clearly interpretive and so much enjoying what they were doing.

From where I was sitting, I was looking onto Jun-Ching Lin's sheet music and following along as he led his peers Carolyn Hancock, Daniel Laufer and Paul Murphy. It was a beautiful setting with beautiful music performed by some of Atlanta's top musicians from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. And it was an unbelievably casual, accessible, intimate and enjoyable experience. You get it, I'm gaga about the whole event.

I just want you to know how exquisite this was because it captures the essence of GOArts. Right here in our own backyard we have such talented musicians, some beautiful architecture, clever comedians, innovative artists & dancers and astute Shakespearean actors. I've seen all this and I have only been to four events--two of those being free and the other two costing less than $10 each with a discounted ticket from AtlanTIX... all this for less than $20. And it is not so much the cost that I really want to emphasize, but rather the quality of the experience and the friendship that ensued in discussions with the artists and curators and audience members---arts & cultural experiences are so enriching.

Please join me this month and go out and do a few cultural things that enrich your life. Take friends or family members along and share these quality experiences---have fun, laugh, reflect, discover, enjoy. Then try to make it a habit.

[For those of you tracking the gastronomic facet of this month-long adventure... after touring the house, my friends & I went about 10 blocks to Noodle for early dinner and then we swung back by Krispy Kreme to have a hot donut for posterity.]

"Art That Will Make You Laugh" - LIVE BLOGGING (Event #3)

Hey everyone.... this is a family friendly event--NOT an adults only event. Laughing Matters @ Manuels Tavern right now. Bring the little ones! Remember, the family that laughs together, um... um, uh, laughs together.

8:40pm - Bank Robbery / funny
cxxxxxxx.done as a Western / funny
xxxxxxxx done in Italian / pretty damn funny -- a 7 out of 10
xxxxxxxx done as Techno / homerun! a hillarious 10

8:55pm - Tele Mundo, Univision, watch out... it's the Laughing Matters spanish soap opera AND los commerciales.

9:00pm - Music... they have musical accompniment (sp.) They're doing reggae at the North Pole. Seriously, though... no I mean it, really, there has been music throughout the whole show and it has contributed equally to the funny. A total package.

9:10pm - Halftime. The company is taking a break and our waitress has just announced the dessert menu and my veggie berger is getting cold 'cuz i type so slow. So, I'm gonna' hand it over to the Dread Pirate Lainey to live blog the second act. Cheers. keif

Lainey here: I just want to share that my favorite quote from act one of the show tonight so far is "This is my loyal dog Chickbiscuit." I am a tech assisstant for Laughing Matters here at the show tonight.

9:21 and were back
Laughing Matters is also available the third Saturday of every month at The Academy Theatre called Battle Acts. 8 improvisers start, and only one survives. They also do school shows, workshops, and team building, and a new cowboy shootout show [you'll have to ask for details! 404-225-5000]

185 [Bad Comedians]
"185 jars of Mayo walk into a state fair and they head straight for the back where they have all the construction paper and glue and stuff. They wanted to make stuff because they are Kraft-y"
(You see what we're dealing with here. A laugh is as good as a groan!) Condiments, pipes, toothpastes all walk into bars.
"185 toothpastes walk into a classroom and sit down and they read their teacher's name tag and all say," Hi Gene!" [get it, Hygiene?! Haha!] I thought it was funny!

Pitch it: Tommy's a producer to whom they must pitch movies, hilarity insues!
rolling rolling rolling, wasps of peace, Hornet: a superhero, Wasps of Peace II: The Reckoning, Eternity Hijinks, Tyler Perry's When in the World am I Going to Stop, Pigs of Glory [Wilbur's brother's untold story], Poptart Wars, Disney's Blood Gun Furies [yes, they went there!]

Improvisor Marc Farley has left the room because he has invented something and will have to guess from questions asked. He has invented the Nature Pen, as suggested by the audience. Other improvisors will pose questions and audience will let Marc know as he is getting closer by snapping and clapping when he gets it right.
. ."You've invented so many things that they call you a 'fountain' of inventions."
. .Jared recommends using the downstairs bathroom.
. .Jacques Cousteau asks "Is your invention inspired by a frightened squid?"
He gets pen, now he has to guess what kind of pen...ooooh. he wants to talk about the layers within the pen...[I'm not quite sure] Ooh he's getting close, calling it a 'green' pen.
. .Surf News Times asks "I love your pen, love using it outside." [ok, so it isn't a question but it's funny!]
. . Mart Stouffer wants to talk about roaming around outside with the bears in the wilderness...[will he get it?!] Nope--not honey, Marc. Keep trying!
Not edible either, Marc. [We could be here for breakfast at this rate!]
Yay! He finally got it! A Nature Pen!!!! Huzzah!

Moving Bodies:
Using two audience members who will be moving the actors around the scene, should we have the lawyers on speed dial? Nah, they'll be ok! Location where the ceiling is only four feet tall: a fritzl house [don't ask me, I'm not sure either!]
. . Hans and Fritz, have a dilemma. And you know sometimes the audience member (the MOVER) listens to the actors and sometimes he doesn't, either or it's quite funny! Apparently The Fritz House is a restaurant.
. . "there is a crowd of people waiting to come in, and we must prepare the silverware."
. . "Run Hans, to the kitchen!!" [That would be the audience member's cues to move them!]
[German accents make just about anything funny, in this case they just make it funnier!]

9:56 Last Song: tofu, eat more chicken . . . style: doowap, and hip hop chorus [oh boy!]
. . "I like to eat my chicken Cause it's finger lickin' " [Chorus]
. . "If you try to serve it to me I'll get skippy!"
. . "I like to visit the Colonel on the daily, shor-tay!" [Doowap hiphop, who knew?!]
Jared wonders if this bizarre doo-wap-hip-hop hybrid is the next big thing or an abomination to mankind. Lainey wonders if it is just the way Laughing Matters rolls, shor-tay!
Jared had no idea Jamie had such filthy thoughts about chicken. This is blackmail material.

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen, we are Laughing Matters, goodnight!"

Organic Fun (Event #2)

Well, Le Flash turned out to be the raw, organic, casual entertaining evening I had hoped for. Many unexpected creations, lots of milling about, an atmosphere to just socialize, and an authentic backdrop--the Castleberry Hill neighborhood. Kudos to the folks who participated in the community effort to create an inspired happening.

Ate at Slice -- They were slammed & the staff stayed uber cool. Two thumbs up for the pizza!

There was a nice confluence of dancers & dance makers in attendance last night, both as performers and as spectators supporting their (our) peers. (It was great to run in to y'all.) Without a doubt, gloATL kicked it up a notch last night. Audiences were truly intrigued and trekked everywhere with those dancers, hugging them even closer than they did at rapt. Lauri Stallings and the company & crew create a complete experience, making us very aware of the nuances of our surroundings where they perform. They adeptly use dance to draw our attention to the varities of the landscape, soundscape, built environment, and technological interfaces.

Daniel Timms provided the ultimate entertainment for the after party -- the famous Iron Pour down by the Elliot Street Pub.

Do we HAVE to wait a year to do it all again?

You Know You've Been Dying to See the Inside (Prelude to Event #4)

...of the beautifully restored Edward C. Peters House. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) comprehensively restored the home, now known as Ivy Hall, in 2008 and the whole process is well-documented---look through these images of "Getting Started" and then check out the other photo galleries.

Better still, come see the house for yourself tomorrow at 3pm and partake in the Ivy Hall Music Series featuring Chamber Music Atlanta (CMA). Beyond the standard chamber fare, their repertoire includes music from the Celtic tradition. I'm placing my request now for their version of Orinoco Flow and The Celts. ..." Crack Agus Col "

Ivy Hall Music Series: Chamber Music Atlanta Concert
Free Performance Open to the Public
Sunday, 3 p.m., Ivy Hall, 179 Ponce de Leon Ave., N.E., Atlanta, Ga.
For more information, contact Lee Barry Todd at ltodd@scad.edu or 404.253.3324

Oh... and nearby food (if you really want to call it that) Krispy Kreme Donuts
you know you're just dying to have one of those hot donuts melt in your mouth...

It looks like it's going to be a decadent Sunday!

LOL Saturday Night (Prelude to Event #3)

Laughing Matters. Need I say more? Oh, yeah, that it's their adults only show starting at 8pm at Manuel's Tavern in midtown. Food and libations right there on the spot. I'll be there, how about you?

LE FLASH...Get out in the dark TONIGHT (Prelude to Event #2)

Lots of unique art and performances tonight only in Castleberry Hill at Le Flash and you can't dispute the price. The schedule of events is here. This event deserves all the hype it gets and you'll see some really creative stuff.

Here is a List of Eateries in the Area.
. Elliott Street Pub, 51 Elliott St. SW
. M Bar, 257 Peters St. SW
. No Mas, 180 Walker St. SW
. Pearl Lounge, 253 Peters St. SW
. Slice, 259 Peters Street SW
. Tilt, 274 Walker St. SW
. 255 Tapas Lounge, 255 Peters St. SW
. Wasabi, 180 Walker St. SW

See ya' there.

On the first day of GOArts.... (Event #1)

It was a short walk from a sub-urban Atlanta neighborhood to the MARTA on a beautiful October evening and I was sooo ready to be entertained (those of you who were all at City Hall East at 5pm on Wednesday know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!).

Two blocks away from the Civic Center N2 MARTA Station, on the other side of the iron-strapped, hand-hewn, dark wood doors of The New American Shakespeare Tavern awaited my salvation... As You Like It performed by the Atlanta Shakespeare Company. I had a blast... I also had dinner, dessert and coffee at the Tavern, too. The show runs until October 11th and then that devious King Richard III takes the stage.

Everyone should treat themselves to such fun & food AND NOW, you have no excuse not to---October is Georgia Open Arts Month (GOArts) and there are over 100 affordable or free entertaining things to see & do! And to prove it... I'm going to try to get to 31 performances & events in 31 days.

GOArts is a collaborative program of the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts (ACPA), a local arts service organization that, among other things, provides year-round discount ticket services for Atlanta and all Georgia at AtlanTIX 1/2 price booths and online.

I started my quest at the Tavern on Thursday, October 1 with the Bard's lighthearted comedy and I'm going to end it there on Saturday, October 31 with twisted witcthes, a floating dagger, bloody clothes that won't come clean, murder, and doooooooooom... Happy Halloween, it's the great Scottish play!

See ya' at the show.